michael_gothard_archive | Entries tagged with the last valley (1971)

Jack the Ripper was a two-part TV dramatisation of the investigation of the infamous murders of London prostitutes. According to Television Heaven, the original transmission of the opening episode was among the top ten ratings for that week, being watched by 14.1 million viewers.

Four different endings were originally filmed, to keep the conclusion of the investigation a secret, until the show was broadcast.

The two one-and-a half-hour episodes were shown on 11 and 18 October 1988.

Michael Gothard played George Lusk, leader of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee. In the film, Lusk is portrayed as a political rabble-rouser and Marxist revolutionary, and is one of the suspects.

In real life, the activities of Lusk’s organisation mainly consisted of putting up posters and offering reward money.

Casting

In correspondence, the Director, David Wickes says:

"Michael had a screen presence unlike that of any other actor with whom I have worked. He could frighten an audience with a glance. His soft, husky voice was electrifying and he knew how to use it to maximum effect.

Each time I welcomed Michael to the set, I knew that we were about to get something special in the can. There are very few actors in that category."

More details on Jack the Ripper from David Wickes Productions

Per Digital Fix: “Though they had originally started to film on video with a different cast (with Barry Foster in the lead), a vast sum of money was put up by CBS on the condition they made it into a much bigger production with US recognisable stars in it thus the inclusion of Michael Caine, Jane Seymour and Lewis Collins ...”

Per IMDB: “Michael Caine was persuaded to return to TV for the first time in nearly 20 years because of David Wickes's powerful script. Caine later described Wickes as "the nicest, fastest Director I've worked for, and the master of filming Victorian London."’

This was the second film in which Michael Gothard had worked opposite Michael Caine, the first being “The Last Valley” in 1971.

In 1979 he had worked with Lewis Collins on an episode of “The Professionals”: “Stopover.”

More recently, in 1982, he had worked with Lysette Anthony, who had played Rowena, his unwilling betrothed, in Ivanhoe.

The stunt arranger on ‘Jack the Ripper’, Peter Brayham would also have been well known to Michael, from “Stopover” and “Arthur of the Britons.”

Cast photo

IMDB entry

This quotation is kindly offered by Michael Gothard's former girlfriend N.B., from a letter he wrote to her on 23 March 1988.

Michael Gothard had worked with Michael Caine on "The Last Valley" in 1971; when Gothard wrote this letter, he had recently been reunited with Caine, to work on David Wickes' film, "Jack the Ripper."

"My reunion with M. Caine, after more years than both of us care to remember, went affably and smoothly, although the nervous director went an intense shade of pale when he tried to introduce us, and neither of us proffered our hands, and I said "we're old enemies."

You could have heard the proverbial pin crash to the floor for a couple of seconds in that studio, until Caine, ever the diplomat, said "we're always enemies in films."

Return of director to normal life, realising that he had not made the worst career move of his life in casting me. In fact, Caine and me had made our salutations a few minutes before."

In "The Last Valley", Gothard had played Hansen, a mercenary, who rebels against his leader The Captain, played by Caine. In "Jack the Ripper", Gothard was to play political agitator George Lusk, who is a thorn in the side of Caine's Chief Inspector Abberline, and is also one of the suspects for the Ripper murders.

Marvel Super Special Magazine: For Your Eyes Only on-set report, including an interview with Michael Gothard.

This came out in 1981.

[Contessa Lisl’s] killer in For Your Eyes Only is a cold-eyed assassin called Emile Locque. Played by Michael Gothard, Loque is the film's equivalent of such past villainous henchmen as Red Grant in From Russia With Love and Mr. Wint in Diamonds Are Forever. Gothard is no stranger to cinematic evil – during his career he's played a vampire (in Scream and Scream Again), helped to burn Oliver Reed alive in The Devils and stabbed Simon Ward to death in The Four Musketeers. But he's suffered a lot of on-screen retribution himself.

"I've been killed in so many different ways on both the large and small screens," he said wryly. "I've been hanged, stabbed, strangled, shot, immersed in an acid bath,
crashed on a motorcycle, killed by a 10-year-old boy by a vicious blow to the spine, drowned and – on one memorable occasion – stabbed and drowned simultaneously.

It's quite a challenge to try and make an impact with a character as restrained and quiet as Locque. I had to act in a sort of straitjacket but I certainly did my best to make him into a menacing and evil presence. Audiences usually remember the Bond villains, and their henchmen, so I'm hoping I won't be an exception."

Speculation:
Some of these on-screen deaths are ones we know about:
As John, he was hanged in Michael Kolhlhaas.
As Kodai, he was shot in Stopover.
As Keith, he was immersed in an acid bath in Scream and Scream Again.
As Terry, he crashed on a motorcycle in Up the Junction.
As Hansen, he was killed (or at least maimed, which resulted in his being killed) by a 10-year-old boy by a vicious blow to the spine in The Last Valley.

That leaves four deaths "stabbed, strangled, drowned and stabbed and drowned simultaneously" unaccounted for.

If, as Michael says, these deaths were on film or TV, they must presumably each have occurred in one of five productions:
- the Armchair Theatre play - The Story-teller - in which he played Brian
- the episode of Menace – Nine Bean Rows - in which he played Pip
- the episode of Fraud Squad – Run for your Money - in which he played Jacky Joyce
- the Thirty Minute Theatre play – The Excavation - in which he played Grady
- the TV series - The Further Adventures of the Musketeers - in which he played Mordaunt.

We don't yet know which death belonged to which character.

In the poster shown below, Michael Gothard's Kai has been depicted looking very much like Hansen in "The Last Valley", not clean-shaven as he actually appeared in "Arthur of the Britons." The artwork must have been from quite an early stage in the production, before Kai's appearance had been decided upon.

HTV publicity 1 small

The poster below shows scenes from some of the earliest episodes filmed: "Arthur is Dead", "Daughter of the King", "The Challenge", "The Gift of Life", and "The Penitent Invader."

HTV publicity 3 small

This extract from the press book was also available in a French translation.

MICHAEL GOTHARD

Born 24 June, 1939 in London.
Journalist.
Course of Dramatic Arts.

Actor in the following films:

HEROSTRATUS by Don Levy
MICHAEL KOLHAAS [sic] by Volker Schlöndorff
UP THE JUNCTION by Peter Collinson
GINGER BREAD HOUSE by Curtis Harrington
THE LAST VALLEY by James Clavell
THE DEVILS by Ken Russell, with Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave

He was discovered in HEROSTRATUS, Don Levy’s very interesting film, in which he played to principal role. His spectacular performance, which alternated moments of violence with lyric sequences done in very long takes, was noticed by Volker Schlöndorff, who signed him for MICHAEL KOLHAAS.

In this intense chronicle of a peasant revolt, Michael Gothard played the part of a young soldier who joined Kolhaas’ band, but who, refusing to obey, looted for his own gain, and finally died by hanging. His truculent performance, especially in the last scenes with Anita Pallenberg, earned him a very similar role in THE LAST VALLEY, James Clavell’s ponderous allegory.

But it is in SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN that film buffs were struck by Gothard. In this fantastic modern tale, very reminiscent of Fritz Lang, Gothard plays a weird character, a vampire with fabulous power, created by Vincent Price. During the course of a long chase across the English countryside, beautifully filmed by director Gordon Hessler, he cuts [off] his hand and dies in a vat of acid.

In Ken Russell’s THE DEVILS he plays an equally monstrous character, that of a young inquisitor, dressed like a hippie, who brutally tortured Vanessa Redgrave. Gothard seemed unable to get away from violence and savagery, but, fortunately, in THE VALLEY, Barbet Schroeder gives him a new kind of part, where he is not obliged to strangle, rape, torture or disembowel a half dozen people.

A new ‘Arthur.’

On 15 June 1972, ‘The Stage’ reported that HTV West was to spend £500,000 on “a new adventure series", and by 17 August 1972, that "Filming ... is now taking place."

‘Arthur of the Britons’ was a re-telling of the story of King Arthur, with some big differences: no shining armour; no castle – just a well-defended village, and Arthur, played by Oliver Tobias, wasn’t a king, but a wily Celtic chieftain, struggling to unite his people against Saxon invaders.

Michael Gothard was cast in one of the lead roles, that of Kai, a Saxon whom Arthur calls ‘brother.’ They were backed up by their adoptive father, Llud of the Silver Hand, played by Jack Watson.
( Read more... )
Shooting “Arthur of the Britons” on location.

Filming took place over about 8 months, from June 1972. The first few episodes were shot at Woodchester in Stroud, but the main village set was then moved to Woollard, on the River Chew. Individual episodes were also shot in the Blackdown Hills, the Mendips, on the River Severn, and at Black Rock Quarry, Cheddar Gorge.

According to the Executive Producer, Patrick Dromgoole, the actors in lead roles stayed in hotels or apartments leased for them for the duration, mostly in Bristol, though it seems possible that some of the cast, on occasion, unofficially spent the night in their location caravan.

Michael Gothard as ‘Kai.’

For the first and only time in his career, Michael Gothard played an action hero, and he played it well.

As a Saxon adopted by a Celt, and living among them, often fighting his own people, Kai was sometimes conflicted, but he was neither a social outcast, a political or religious fanatic, a criminal, nor a psychopath. He was a reliable lieutenant, and a good and loyal friend, to Arthur.

This was also one of the few occasions when the character Michael played gets to smile, and have some fun that isn’t at someone else’s expense, in between being forced into situations where he has to fight to survive.

As for how he got the role – the Executive Producer, Patrick Dromgoole had seen him in 'The Last Valley", but the choice of Michael to play Kai seems to have been thanks to Peter Sasdy, the Director of the two pilot episodes, ‘Arthur is Dead’, and ‘Daughter of the King.’

In correspondence, he says: “… I had very little time during pre-production, but I was happy with the casting of the main characters”, “Oliver Tobias was already cast before I was asked to direct the first episode and on casting the final decision was always – and with my full backing! – in the hands of Patrick Dromgoole.”

“As far as Michael Gothard is concerned … I cast him because I thought of him as a very interesting actor, with strong personality and in the right part he’d always give a good performance. He was rather a private person and because of this I didn’t get to know him beyond the set.”

In August 2010, when Oliver Tobias was asked about the casting, he said that his and Michael’s audition consisted of them, and four horses. Together, they had to ride different horses to the top of the hill and back, a number of times.

“They cast us for who we were at the time. We were allowed complete freedom … Each has a chemistry.” He also said that they improvised a lot of the action.

Of the scripts, Patrick Dromgoole said: “We had enough to start filming, but made a lot of changes according to the performances of the actors and what seemed to make a successful episode as we went along” – so the initial choice of cast was vital to the success and long-lasting appeal of the series.

Trivia: Michael often wears the same studded tunic as Kai in “Arthur of the Britons”, as he wore in “The Last Valley.”

.

Harry Fielder, an actor, extra, stuntman, and stand-in known as “Aitch”, had long career in film and TV, and remembered working with Michael.

"I worked with Michael a couple of times in the past ["When the Spirit Moves You" and "The Last Valley"] and the best one was Ken Russell's "The Devils" ... where we worked for a few months down at Pinewood Studios.

... I loved the way he worked ... "The Devils" was hard work for all the actors and Michael at his best ... Michael was playing a really nasty guy, but off set he was a quiet man and we had many laughs with all the cast and crew.

Michael was always word perfect.

He's still in my memory, good guy to work with."

Aitch on IMDB

A two-page feature on "The Last Valley" appeared in the 1971 Photoplay Film Annual. The feature included this photo of Michael Gothard as Hansen, during his final showdown with Michael Caine, as The Captain.

Hansen in Photoplay

The Last Valley: French film trade card: no.2 in the 'Les Fiches de Monsieur Cinema' Card set.

The French title of the film translates as "The Lost Valley"; presumably it was felt that "La vallée perdue" was more evocative than "La dernière vallée."

Hansen (Michael Gothard) with Inge (Madeleine Hinde). They also appeared together in the "Arthur of the Britons" episode, "Daughter of the King."

Hansen

Hansen has a difference of opinion, and settles it in the usual way.

Last Valley lobby card French

Hansen leads a group of Catholic mercenaries and villagers, to protest about a shrine being moved.

This still shows the moment when Hansen realises that his supporters have deserted him, and that he is trapped.

The writing on the back of this still indicates that the film was shown at a Gaumont Cinema, in a Spanish-speaking country, where the film was titled "The Sword and the Rose."

The still was acquired from someone living in Buenos Aires, so it seems likely that it was used to advertise the film when it was shown in Argentina.

( Read more... )

It is perhaps unsurprising that a film of this epic scope and quality would appeal to the Chinese market.

Chinese Last Valley

This film is set during the Thirty Years War. It looks at what people will tolerate, what compromises they will make, and what they are prepared to do, to preserve their way of life.

Omar Sharif stars, as Vogel, and Michael Caine as a man known only as “The Captain.” This Captain heads a ruthless troop of mercenaries, of which Hansen, played by Michael Gothard, is a member. During the complex mish-mash of wars that rages throughout Europe, causing devastation to the populace, often with religion as the reason or the excuse, this band of killers offers its services to the highest bidder, or to whichever side is winning.

Near the start of the film, we see the mercenaries looting a poor and muddy village, and terrorising the occupants. Here, Hansen enthusiastically uses a pitchfork to kill a villager, and is about to slaughter an ox with his axe.

( Read more... )

This Island Rod

"… the rapacious Hansen (Michael Gothard) is given to stirring up trouble, eventually raising a rival band of brigands to contest the valley …

The evocation of a blasted, cruel, evil epoch isn’t as ineffaceable or provocative as that in Ken Russell’s 'The Devils' from the same year (they both sport cast member Gothard, with his gift for portraying multiple varieties of creep) but shares some imagery and mood, combined with high-riding sweep of narrative."

Full review

Deitmar Zingl in 70 mm News:

“Michael Caine is especially fond of TLV. It's one of his own favorite movies. He uses a slight German accent for his role as Captain Hauptmann, the cool warrior with a wounded soul.

Omar Sharif is the romantic intellectual, some kind of Zhivago lost in Germany. Per Oscarsson is a religious fanatic priest, wonderfully over the top, as most of the religious fanatics, even today. Florinda Bolkan is the independent woman in a male dominated society and pays a high price for her independence.

More wonderful actors are Nigel Davenport, Arthur O‘Connell and the wild and angry Michael Gothard as Hansen. His performance resembles that of Klaus Kinski in "Aguirre, The Wrath of God" although that came two years later.”

Full review

Ian Christie – Daily Express, 7 April 1971

“…in the hands of director James Clavell, it has an epic quality that never loses its fascination.”

Daily Mail, 1971

“A film whose action speaks so much more eloquently than words.”

Financial Times, 1971

“Burst of action, effectively staged.”

Daily Mirror, 1971

“Lusty escapism and action … hefty and exciting high spots … always engrossing.”

The Guardian, 1971

“They don’t make films like James Clavell’s “The Last Valley” any more. … a genuine attempt to summon up a period.”

Sunday Times, 1971

“The violence proceeds naturally from the action and doesn’t undermine its own anti-war theme.”

Sunday Telegraph, 1971

“The film works up a satisfying atmosphere of unquiet calm.”

The People, 1971

“Michael Caine, slickest of contemporary film heroes. A splendid spectacle. A fine cast supports Michael.”

New York Post

“One of the most absorbing film entertainments of the year! A picture that enthralls from start to finish! An historical thriller, realistic in setting, romantically touching and meaningful ...”

Richard Schickel - Life Magazine

“One of the most intelligent movies I’ve seen.”

Vincent Canby - New York Times

“A story of survival set in a magnificent valley like Bertolt Brecht in ‘Mother Courage’, Mr Clavell ses the incredible horrors of the Thirty Years’ War as a metaphor for contemporary horrors … Caine and Sharif are quite good.”

Martha Deane - WOR Radio

“One of the most profound, impressive and important films as seen. I was continually moved by its theme and performances.”

David Goldman - WCBS Radio

“The acting is first rate with Michael Caine doing the best work of his career. An unusual movie-going experience.”

WMCA Radio

“Right in the class of Ben Hur.”

Other reviews

DVD Talk
In Stereo
New York Times
Cane Toad Warrior
rtbot

In the plot synopsis supplied in press pack, the death of Michael Gothard's character, Hansen, is described as follows:

"Hansen returns with new recruits. A fierce and bloody skirmish follows. Hansen is trapped and the Captain shoots him."

However, this is not how Hansen dies - in fact, we don't witness his death on film.

The Captain does fire a shot, hitting either Hansen or his horse, which falls on top of him. Hansen then struggles out from under his horse, barely able to stand.

The child soldier, Julio, then runs from cover, and hits Hansen from behind, with a vicious blow from a flail. Hansen goes down, writhing on the ground, half-paralysed.

Hansen calls out for Vogel, obviously seeing him as the most compassionate of the triumvirate that now rules the village, and begs him: “Give me a knife. Don’t leave me alive. Please Vogel”, but Vogel is unmoved.

Hansen then calls to Father Sebastian: “Help me. I’m a Catholic, please for the love of God”, but the priest is equally impassive.

Then Hansen manages to turn to look at The Captain, saying, “He’s the Devil incarnate!”

The Captain just calls for one of his men, Graff, who stands over Hansen, and draws a small knife from his hat.

The Captain had already stated that the penalty for rape would be castration, and we are left to imagine what subsequently occurs.

Full plot synopsis as supplied:

Vogel (OMAR SHARIF), once a teacher, is now wandering, begging. He comes upon a beautiful village, untouched by the ravages and the Thirty Years’ War.

A band of ruthless mercenaries led by their captain (Michael Caine) surrounds the village and shortly thereafter Vogel begins a verbal battle for his life and the survival of the village. He convinces the Captain to spare these people and winter there away from the war, to protect the village in return for comfortable lodgings. After the Captain tells his men of the new plan, some of them rebel against it.

Inge Hoffman (MADELINE HINDE), innocent and very beautiful, and Erica (FLORINDA BOLKAN), elegant and fascinating, are returning to the village unaware of the soldiers’ presence. Some of the mercenaries begin to molest Inge, but she is led away by her father (ARTHUR O’CONNELL).

At the Captain’s request to see Gruber (NIGEL DAVENPORT), who is head of the village, Vogel finds him with his family and Father Sebastian (PER OSCARSSON), the village priest, at the shrine. Vogel tells him of the Captain’s bargain, and in spite of objections from the priest, Gruber agrees.

Vogel becomes very ill and is nursed back to health by Inge, Erica and Frau Hoffman (IRENE PRADOR).
The Captain himself wants Erica but she is Gruber’s mistress. Erica becomes his property when he challenges Gruber at dice and wins.

Tensions begin to tighten. Led by Father Sebastian, the villagers and Catholic soldiers are angered when the Captain moves the holy shrine. Vogel cools their tempers.

That evening at the shrine Hansen (MICHAEL GOTHARD) tries to rape Inge, but Vogel saves her. Later, Hansen and his men try unsuccessfully to ambush the Captain. They flee from the village, but Hansen vows to return with more men.

Inge tells Andreas (CHRISTIAN ROBERTS), her childhood sweetheart, that she will not marry him. She is in love with Vogel. The Captain, who falls in love with Erica, suspects her of witchcraft and questions her about her past.

Hansen returns with new recruits. A fierce and bloody skirmish follows. Hansen is trapped and the Captain shoots him. The village is at peace for a short while. Then with news of approaching armies, the Captain prepares for war again and leaves with his men.

Father Sebastian and Gruber, fearful of the situation, go into hiding. Father Sebastian discovers Erica praying to Satan and condemns her to be burned as a witch. A mercenary left behind to protect the village fights with the priest and they fall into the fire to die with Erica.

When the Captain badly wounded, returns to the village, he meets Inge and Vogel in the forest, who warn him of an ambush ordered by Gruber. But he dies, before the attack. Vogel leaves the village alone and the valley is safe once more …

This is one of a number of posters, some with different text, but most featuring Michael's character, Hansen, bottom left.

Poster 3

This was one of the publicity "blocks" available for hire by the cinemas.

Hansen from Pressbook

The press book also included many marketing initiatives, such as a teacher's press pack, a painting competition, merchandise such as jewellery and fashions based on the film, and the opportunity to win a holiday.

Promotion Art competition.jpg

This plot synopsis was supplied.

In this story about the Thirty Years War that ravaged Europe (1618-1648), Michael Gothard played Hansen, one of a band of marauders led by The Captain (Michael Caine).

“The Last Valley” was filmed at Halliford Studios, Shepperton, England, and in Trins, Tirol, Austria.

Filming seems to have taken place during 1969, because there were 40th Anniversary showings on 24 and 27 September 2009.

Per an uncredited source, Michael may have got this role as a result of his performance in “Michael Kohlhaas.”

"In [Michael Kohlhaas], Michael Gothard played the part of a young soldier who joined Kohlhaas' band, but who, refusing to obey, looted for his own gain, and finally died by hanging. His truculent performance, especially in the last scenes with Anita Pallenberg, earned him a very similar role in “The Last Valley”, James Clavell's ponderous allegory."

Quote taken from Michael Gothard Tribute Site

It seems likely that Michael’s performance in “The Last Valley” may have led to him being cast as Kai in “Arthur of the Britons.” He even wears the same studded tunic in both productions.

“The Last Valley” was the second project on which Michael appeared with Brian Blessed (who played another mercenary, Korski) – the first being “The Further Adventures of the Musketeers”, and the third being “Arthur of the Britons.”

Harry Fielder, a stuntman/extra/stand-in with whom Michael had worked on the “Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)” episode, “When the Spirit Moves You”, was an uncredited pillager in “The Last Valley”, and would later work with him on “The Devils.”

Madeleine Hinde, who played Inge, would work with Michael again soon after, on "Arthur of the Britons", in which she appeared as Eithna.

George Innes, who played mercenary Vornez, would later appear with Michael again in “Ivanhoe”, in which Innes played the Fool, Wamba, and Michael played Saxon noble, Athelstane.

Michael Gothard would also work with Michael Caine again, on “Jack the Ripper.”

Michael Gothard's own account of his on-set reunion with Michael Caine, in 1988 can be found here

Incidentally, Michael Caine has confessed that (unlike Michael Gothard) he is a terrible rider, and was lucky to escape unharmed during “The Last Valley.”

"I am absolutely useless. I act as though I can ride. In “The Last Valley,” I led a charge. If I'd have come off, they'd have all run over me.”

Watch "The Last Valley" on Youtube:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10

Details on IMDB

Filming of “The Last Valley”, at Halliford Studios, Shepperton, England, and in Trins, Tirol, Austria, seems to have taken place during 1969, because there were 40th Anniversary showings on 24 and 27 September 2009. It was not released until January 1971.

According to the review below, from a press book for The Valley (Obscured by Clouds), Michael's role as Hansen may have come as a result of his performance in “Michael Kohlhaas.”

In this intense chronicle of a peasant revolt, Michael Gothard played the part of a young soldier who joined Kohlhaas’ band, but who, refusing to obey, looted for his own gain, and finally died by hanging. His truculent performance, especially in the last scenes with Anita Pallenberg, earned him a very similar role in THE LAST VALLEY, James Clavell’s ponderous allegory.

“The Further Adventures of the Musketeers” was a BBC drama series, based on Alexander Dumas' sequel to "The Three Musketeers", entitled "Twenty Years After." The sixteen episodes were broadcast on BBC1, at 5:25 pm on Sundays.

Michael Gothard is credited for appearances in ten of the sixteen episodes, and very briefly appears in another. He plays Mordaunt, formerly John Francis de Winter, the vengeful son of Milady de Winter. Milady was executed by the Musketeers in the previous series, "The Three Musketeers."

This series, which features many stalwarts of British entertainment, had languished in the BBC archives for nearly 50 years, unseen by the public, until May 2016, when it was finally released on DVD by Simply Media.¹ Perhaps we should consider ourselves lucky that it had not simply been "lost", like so many productions of the BBC's earlier years.

In an interview that appeared in ‘X’-Films Vol.3 No 1 in 1973, Michael briefly mentioned this role:

“That show [‘Arthur of the Britons’] was the one I got the most public notice from. I also did another TV series five years ago, called “The Further Adventures of the Musketeers.” I was playing the villain in that, but I used to get more fan mail than the bloody hero! So, I had an image then, but I don’t know what it was.”

Watching the series now, it is not hard to see why he got so much fan mail. A classic anti-hero, Mordaunt appears more dynamic than the - much older - Musketeers, and his dedicated pursuit of his goal stands in stark contrast to their muddled and often self-serving aims.

D’Artagnan responds to an appeal from Queen Anne, whom he and his friends previously helped in covering up her betrayal of her husband, King Louis XIII. But he is also looking for advancement in the Service, and persuades Porthos to join him - on the promise of a barony - in working for the Queen and Mazarin, against rebels led by Rochefort and the Prince de Beaufort.

Their other old friends, Athos and Aramis, are on Rochefort’s side, and the four spend some time working against each other, while trying to remain friends. When Mazarin sends D’Artagnan and Porthos to England to negotiate with Cromwell, they forget about their mission, and team up with Athos and Aramis in trying to save King Charles from the man with whom they are supposed to be negotiating. They are constantly changing their minds and squabbling amongst themselves. They fail to save Charles, and it is only thanks to a servant, Grimaud, and his desire for wine, that they avoid being blown up by Mordaunt.

They manage to kill Mordaunt, and they negotiate peace between the warring parties in France, and rewards for themselves - but this seems more by luck than judgement.

Mordaunt’s single-minded quest to avenge his mother’s death seems, if not admirable, at least understandable. In episode 13, when he is surrounded by all four Musketeers, he appears quite brave in standing up to the more experienced swordsmen, and he fights well against D’Artagnan.

Michael also referred to the series in an interview in a Marvel Super Special Magazine: For Your Eyes Only on-set report, which came out in 1981.

"I've been killed in so many different ways on both the large and small screens," he said wryly. "I've been hanged, stabbed, strangled, shot, immersed in an acid bath, crashed on a motorcycle, killed by a 10-year-old boy by a vicious blow to the spine, drowned and – on one memorable occasion – stabbed and drowned simultaneously.”

The “memorable occasion” was in “The Further Adventures of the Musketeers.”

Fellow actors

This was the first of three productions in which Michael Gothard worked with Brian Blessed. Blessed played Porthos in "The Further Adventures of the Musketeers" in which Michael Gothard played Mordaunt. He also played Korski in "The Last Valley", in which Michael played Hansen, and Mark of Cornwall in "Arthur of the Britons", in which Michael played Kai.

The creator of this archive met Brian Blessed in 2011, and showed him some pictures of fans dedicating a tree to Michael. Brian didn’t even know Michael had died.² When told that Michael had killed himself in 1992, he became serious, and said that he was sorry.

He said that Michael was depressed when he knew him. Michael used to say, “Oh, Brian, I don’t know if I’ll make it as an actor. No one seems to like me”,³ and he had a lot of bad luck – saying that some bloke he’d paid to decorate his house left the job half-finished.

Brian mentioned working with Michael on the “Further Adventures of the Musketeers.” He said: “We killed him in the end.”

Morris Perry who appeared as Captain Groslow, in 1979 played Radouk in the episode of “The Professionals”, in which Michael played Kodai. In 1980, they worked together again, in “A Tale of Two Cities.” Morris Perry played the Marquis St. Evremonde, who is killed by Michael’s character Gaspard, in revenge for the death of his daughter.

John Woodvine, who plays Aramis, was also to feature in “The Devils” as Trincant – a film in which Michael played a starring role as Father Barré.

Joss Ackland, who appeared as D'Artagnan in this series, later played D'Artagnan's father in the two Musketeers films in which Michael Gothard played John Felton.

Episodes of "The Further Adventures of the Musketeers" in which Michael appeared, with the introductory quotation from the Radio Times:

3. Conspiracy (4 June 1967)
“I see a man, a Royal Prince, defying bolts, bars, and fortress walls. I see him free … two days from now. At seven o’clock.”

4. Conflict (11 June 1967)
“The King’s name is no password here. To the sword, sir!”

5. Peril (18 June 1967)
“There is only one man in France I would trust with these secrets. You must destroy these papers … or die.”

6. Abduction (25 June 1967)
“People like us, madam, must not trust even our own two hands.”

7. The Boy King (2 July 1967)
“Monsieur D’Artagnan, you are under arrest. The King has vanished.”

9. Escape (16 July 1967)
“Your Majesty, I promise that anyone who has the audacity to touch you will die.”

10. The Oath (23 July 1967)
“You cannot live without me, my love. I am your star, your protector, your husband. We will make this true before God.”

11. The Trial (30 July 1967)
“Never doubt me again, Athos. I vow to take upon myself all that concerns the delivery of the King.”

12. The Scaffold (6 August 1967)
“We are about to separate before the most desperate adventure of our lives – the most glorious! We shall not fail.”

13. Treachery (13 August 1967)
“Athos, you are becoming imbecile. Do you realise our situation? It is kill or be killed.”

¹ The production features a disclaimer about the quality of the footage, but this turns out to be better than expected, though the subtitles are not to be relied upon.

² It was hardly surprising that Blessed missed the news, given how little coverage it received. Also, he would have been preparing for one of his attempts on Everest at the time.

³ It was not clear whether Michael thought no one seemed to like him professionally, or personally, though the former seems more likely.

IMDB entry